Golf ball driving mat for automatic teeing machines



J. MOZEL 2,273,059-

GOLF BALL DRIVING MAT FOR AUTOMATIC TEEING MACHINES Feb. 17, 1942.

Filed Dec. 18, 1940 INYENTOR.

E m Q ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 17, 1942 GOLF BALL DRIVING MAT FOR AUTOMATIC TEEIN G MACHINES Joe Mozel, Portland, Oreg.

' Application December 18, 1940, Serial No. 370,728

4 Claims.

This invention relates to golf ball driving mats and is particularly adapted to be used in connection with automatic golf ball teeing devices.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a driving mat that is resilient in nature, so that if the golf club should strike the mat the shock of the club will be absorbed within the mat itself.

A further object of the invention is to construct a golf ball driving mat reinforced by a stiffening material, such as metal, having a rubber covering thereover for receiving the blow of the club.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a shock absorbing material between the driving mat and the teeing device providing a cushioning effect for the mat in general.

A still further object of the invention is to reinforce the mat with a deadening material.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawing, specification and claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my new and improved golf ball driving mat, parts broken away for convenience of illustrating how it can be adapted to an automatic golf ball teeing machine.

Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 3 is an inverted perspective view of my new and improved driving mat.

Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary plan view of a corner of the base and cushion upon which the driving mat rests.-

In the drawing:

I is my new and improved golf ball driving mat. mat, while 3 indicates the framework of an automatic golf ball teeing device. The upper part of the teeing device is constructed in a shape to provide a recess 4 for holding my new and improved mat l. A cushion-like material 5 rests within the recess 4 upon the surface 6. This cushion material is preferably made from sponge rubber and completely encircles the upper surface 6 of the recess 4 of the frame 3 of the automatic golf teeing device. I do not wish to be limited to mounting my new and improved golf ball driving mat upon an automatic teeing machine, as it may be adapted to other combinations, still coming within the scope of the invention. The

cushion 5 is of hollow rectangular form present- 2 is the area or grounds surrounding the i absorbs the primary blow of the club head in the event the club strikes the mat, while the general shock of the club is absorbed by the cushion 5, upon which rests the rigid or metallic plate I. The outer edge 9 of the driving mat rests on the cushion 5 at III.

A spacer, or sound absorbing member ll, preferably made of wood, or other form of absorbing material is secured to the under side of the plate 1. This spacer bears against the cushion 5 at I2, thereby centering the mat within the recess 4. The spacer II is secured to the plate 1 by any suitable fastening means, such as screws l3. The member I I provides a means of centering the mat within the recess 4 of the frame 3 of the teeing device, but it also acts as a deadening member for absorbing the shock from the club head.

An opening 14 is provided when the mat is being used with an automatic golf ball teeing device, permitting the golf ball to be raised therethrough, as illustrated in Figure 2 by dotted lines.

In the operation of my new and improved golf ball driving mat, the mat floats freely Within a supporting frame upon a cushion-like base 5, so that when the mat is struck by a club head in driving a ball the whole mat will give from the shock imparted to the mat by the club head, at the same time the club is protected by the upper resilient surface of the mat.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular form of mechanical construction illustrated and described, as other forms of mechanical construction could be used still coming within the scope of the claims to follow.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A golf ball driving tee comprising a metallic frame to seat in a recess formed in the normal driving ground, the frame including ahorizontal portion and a vertical portion, a sponge rubber cushion resting upon and conforming in area to that of the horizontal portion of the frame, the upper surface of the cushion being below the upper edge of the vertical portion of the frame, a metal plate resting upon the cushion within the vertical portion of the frame, and a resilient driving layer secured upon the metal plate, the metallic plate and resilient layer having such relation to the metallic frame as to be slightly floatable within said frame.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein the cushion is formed with an abrupt inner edge and a sound absorbing layer is secured to the plate and depending within the inner edge of the cushion.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein the cushion is formed with an abrupt inner edge, and a wood section underlies and is secured to the metallic plate within the inner edge 01 the cushion, the dimensions of the wood section being slightly less than the similar distances between the inner edges of the cushion.

4. A golf ball driving mat including a resilient cushion having an abrupt inner edge supported in a recess formed in the general playing surface,

the mat being supported solely on the cushion and including an upper resilient layer, an intermediate layer, and a lower shock-absorbing layer, the lower shock-absorbing layer being arranged within the inner edge of and below the upper surface of the cushion and serving to center the superimposed layers with respect to the cushion.

JOE MOZEL. 

